Home Lies In The Hearts Of Strangers
by Metalfull
Summary: Voltron. She'd sworn upon her uncle's death to see it never fell into the Galra's hands, no matter what. So she kept her mouth sealed. They tortured her, beat her, but she would not betray him. Then the boy appeared. He called himself a paladin. One look in his eyes told her all she needed to know. Her home may not be so far gone as she once believed it to be. Not completely.


_**"Eqyran, exceptional as always." Tarlix praised me as I loosed my focus on the quintessence orb before me.**_

 _ **As it blinked out I noticed something alarming. Tarlix was smiling.**_

 _ **"Did something I do amuse you today Tarlix?" I asked the Galran sorcerer carefully.**_

 _ **He averted his eyes. "Oh nothing yet." He assured me.**_

 _ **"Although I'm quite sure our lesson will be cut short today." He told me.**_

 _ **"Why would…" I trailed off as I caught sight of the brightly colored machine coming toward Altea from the balcony we stood on.**_

 _ **Voltron.**_

 _ **I looked over at Tarlix with wide, hopeful eyes, just begging him to give the word.**_

 _ **"Go on. It isn't as if you'll retain anything more today anyhow." He said falling back into the role of the uncaring instructor out of habit.**_

 _ **I thanked him in sure a hurry I hadn't thought twice about hugging the Galran, something that his people didn't do frequently at all, before I was bursting through the pearly colored doors that led inside and raced through the palace.**_

 _ **I really hated it, this planet.**_

 _ **Don't get me wrong, Altea was pretty, really pretty, and the people were nice enough most of the time and all that, but it wasn't home and I knew it never could be.**_

 _ **The planet I was born on wasn't home.**_

 _ **I slipped between the varying shapes in the crowd as Voltron came closer to the surface.**_

 _ **Everyone cheered and screamed over the roar of the giant machine and I fought even harder to get closer.**_

 _ **To see my home again.**_

 _ **The flash of light that preceded the split of the lions stunned the line of soldiers that was trying to keep the crowd back just long enough for me to duck under the arms of a particularly tall pair and race toward the blue lioness.**_

 _ **"Hey! Get back here kid!" One of the soldiers snapped after me.**_

 _ **I ignored the sound of someone racing after me and was right there by the beast's giant maw when a hand grabbed my shoulder and hoisted my small frame off of the ground.**_

 _ **"Where do you think you're going you little cross species-" The pale haired soldier started to snarl at me.**_

 _ **I reached out for the cool blue quintessence emanating from the lioness and gathered up just enough of the energy to shoot it backwards and escape the grasp of the Altean soldier.**_

 _ **"Blaytz! Blaytz!" I yelled and bolted into the lioness excitedly.**_

 _ **"You can't go in there!" The now panicking soldier all but screamed at me.**_

 _ **A pair of big blue arms scooped me up as soon as I got inside and Blue's shields went up, leaving the soldier fuming outside.**_

 _ **"Do I know you?" A familiar voice tickled the back of my neck.**_

 _ **"You're back!" I cheered and wrapped my arms around my goofy uncle.**_

 _ **"I see you've managed to get yourself in trouble again." He teased as lightheartedly as ever.**_

 _ **I ignored his usual banter and just clung to the brightly colored armor he donned the moment he became the blue paladin.**_

 _ **The Blue lioness chuffed in greeting and I could feel her energy brush warmly against my own in an attempt to gain my attention.**_

 _ **I laughed at the jealous marvel of a thing. "I missed you too Blue." I assured her with a grin.**_

 _ **Blaytz hoisted me up by the arms and settled me onto his shoulders.**_

 _ **"Hold on!" He roared and charged out of the lioness to meet up with the rest of the paladins and the world waiting outside to witness the most amazing team to ever form.**_

"Hold on." I echoed under my breath to the unconscious, Altean-like boy laying next to me in the dinged up escape pod and pressed the detonator in my hand.

 _Uncle, could it be? Could this boy really be one of your successors? Could Voltron really fly again?_

I begged for it to be true.

I begged to see the five paladins return to us.

I swore upon Voltron to see it true.


End file.
